This invention relates generally to a breakaway cup holder that allows an automotive vehicle occupant to re-engage support arms of the cup holder after the support arms have been pulled free from respective arm retainers.
It is known for automobile interiors to include cup holders supported on automotive interior structures such as instrument panels side trim panels and seats. One common type of cup holder is the swing-down variety that includes a cup tray that is hinged to a supporting structure and is movable between a generally vertical stowed position and a generally horizontal deployed position. Some swing-down cup holders include support arms that connect between the cup tray and respective retainers on the supporting structure to secure the cup tray in the deployed position. It is known for such support arms to be fixed to the cup tray and to slide into the supporting structure through respective receiving apertures when the cup tray is moved to the stowed position. The retainers engage and arrest the support arms when the cup tray reaches the deployed position.
A common problem encountered with such cup holders is that excessive downward forces may occasionally be applied to the cup tray portion in the deployed position. Such forces, typically generated by inadvertently stepping on a deployed cup holder, can force the cup tray downward past the deployed position and can forcibly withdraw and, in so doing, will disengage the support arms from their respective retainers.
Some swing-down cup holders are designed to disengage in this manner without breaking and for re-engagement following an inadvertent disengagement. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, the prior art includes at least one swing-down breakaway cup holder system 1 including support arms 2 that, by direct manipulation, can be re-engaged after being disengaged from respective arm retainers 3. As shown in FIG. 2 a vehicle occupant can re-engage the arms 2 by aligning the arms 2 for re-engagement by directly manipulating the arms 2 then rotating a cup tray 4 of the cup holder 1 upwards. The cup tray 4 of this cup holder system 1 includes a cylindrical recess 5 shaped to receive and support a beverage container in an upright position when the tray 4 is in the deployed position shown in FIG. 1. The two flat metal support arms 2 are connected to the cup tray 4 and extend through respective apertures 6 in a vertical support panel 7 when the tray 4 is in or between the deployed and stowed positions. The support arms 2 are disposed parallel to one another and are positioned to slide into and out of the support panel 7 through the respective apertures 6 when the cup tray 4 is pivoted between the deployed and stowed positions. The support arms 2 have upper distal ends bent outward to form respective arm detents 8. The arm detents 8 are shaped to engage respective outer side edges of the apertures 6 when the tray 4 is in the deployed position. The arm detents 8 engage the aperture side edges in such a way as to arrest downward pivotal motion of the cup tray 4. The support arms 2 are biased outward to insure that the out-turned arm detents 8 will engage the aperture side edges when the tray 4 is swung downward to the deployed position. The arm detents 8 are also designed to deform in such a way as to allow the support arms 2 to disengage from or pull free of the outer side edges of the apertures 6 when a predetermined amount of downward force is applied to the cup tray 4. This allows the cup tray 4 to xe2x80x9cbreak awayxe2x80x9d from the deployed position and to swing downward, as shown in FIG. 2, without causing plastic deformation in or breakage of any related components.
As shown in FIG. 3, the support arms 2 may be re-engaged by grasping both support arms 2, bending the support arms 2 toward each other such that the arm detents 8 are aligned with the apertures 6, then holding the arms 2 in that aligned position while swinging the cup tray 4 upward so that the arms 2 re-insert into their respective apertures 6. In other words, an automotive vehicle passenger must directly manipulate the support arms 2 to re-install the support arms 2 into their respective apertures 6.
The invention is a breakaway cup holder assembly that enables an automotive vehicle occupant to re-engage a support arm of a swing-down cup holder after the support arm has been pulled free of or otherwise disengaged from an arm retainer. The assembly includes a support panel configured to be supported on an automotive interior structure and a cup tray supported on the support panel for pivotal motion between a generally horizontal deployed position and a generally vertical stowed position. The cup tray is shaped to support and hold upright a beverage container. At least one support arm is connected to the cup tray and is slidably received within an aperture in the support panel when the tray is in or between the deployed and stowed positions. The support arm is positioned to slide through the support panel aperture when the cup tray is pivoted between the stowed position and the deployed position. An arm retainer is disposed on the support panel adjacent the aperture and is configured to arrest downward cup tray movement at the deployed position by engaging and retaining a support arm detent of the support arm when the cup tray reaches the deployed position. The arm retainer and distal end are configured to allow the support arm detent to disengage from the arm retainer when a predetermined amount of downward force is applied to the cup tray. This allows the cup tray to pivot downward past the deployed position without plastically deforming or breaking the tray, the support arm, the arm retainer or any associated structures.
Unlike the prior art, the arm retainer and the support arm are configured and positioned such that upward pivoting of the cup tray following disengagement causes the support arm detent to re-engage the arm retainer. This allows an automotive vehicle passenger to quickly and easily re-engage the support arm using a single motion of one hand and without having to directly manipulate the support arm.
According to another aspect of the invention the support arm includes a curved portion having a generally constant radius curvature. The support arm is fixed to the cup tray in a position disposing the curved portion of the support arm coaxially relative to a pivot axis of the cup tray to allow the curved portion of the support arm so that the support arm can feed into and out of the support panel aperture as the cup tray is pivoted about the pivot axis.
According to another aspect of the invention the support arm includes an arm upper detent formed in an upper edge of the arm and an arm lower detent formed in a lower edge of the arm. The arm retainer includes a retainer upper detent in an upper surface of the aperture and a retainer lower detent in a lower surface of the aperture. The arm upper and lower detents are configured and positioned to engage the retainer upper and lower detents, respectively, when the cup tray is in the deployed position.
According to another aspect of the invention the arm upper and lower detents are shaped to resist both upward and downward pivotal movement of the cup tray when engaging the respective retainer upper and lower detents.
According to another aspect of the invention the support arm is split longitudinally from a distal end of the support arm inward to form a split region having upper and lower engagement fingers. The arm upper detent is formed in an upper edge of the upper engagement finger and the arm lower detent is formed in a lower edge of the lower engagement finger. The split region of the support arm may be configured to resist a predetermined amount of extraction force before the upper and lower engagement fingers will deflect towards each other sufficiently to allow the upper and lower arm detents to disengage from the upper and lower retainer detents.
According to another aspect of the invention a vertical width of the support arm is tapered in the split region such that downward pivotal motion of the cup tray causes the stationary upper and lower retainer detents to compress the upper and lower engagement fingers together as the split region slides through the aperture and then spread apart when the upper and lower arm detents engage the upper and lower retainer detents.
According to another aspect of the invention a ramp is supported adjacent the aperture and is configured and oriented to laterally deflect the distal end of the support arm away from the upper and lower retainer detents as the support arm is being re-inserted into the aperture following disengagement. The ramp is configured and located to allow the support arm to slide off the ramp and spring back into alignment with the retainer detents once a narrower portion of the arm reaches the ramp during re-insertion.
According to another aspect of the invention a second ramp is supported adjacent the aperture and is configured and oriented to urge the distal end of the support arm laterally into alignment with the retainer detents as the support arm is being drawn outward through the aperture as the cup tray is pivoted downward into the deployed position.
According to another aspect of the invention the cup tray includes an outer shell and an inner shell that closes an upper opening of the outer shell. The inner shell includes a recess shaped to support and hold upright a beverage container and an opening configured and positioned to receive a base portion of the support arm.
According to another aspect of the invention the lower distal end of the base portion of the support arm is received in a walled pocket that extends upward from an inner surface of the outer shell. The walled pocket is configured to preclude lateral movement of the lower distal end of the base portion of the support arm.
According to another aspect of the invention the support arm includes a flange that extends integrally outward at the approximate location along the length of the arm where the curved portion joins the base portion of the support arm. The flange is positioned to engage an inner surface of the inner shell to retain the support arm against withdrawal from the cup tray.